Torrential rains in the Southern U.S. state of Louisiana led to a state-of-emergency declaration by Governor John Bel Edwards on Saturday.

Extreme flooding conditions have hit southeastern Louisiana, including New Orleans. Two bodies have been pulled from floodwaters there, and National Guard units said they had rescued more than 1,000 people by Saturday afternoon.

A large portion of the region is bracing for continuing floods through Sunday.

Southern Mississippi and Alabama are also experiencing heavy downpours, from a storm system that has stalled over the region, barely moving.

Fast-rising waters pushed cars and at least one 18-wheel truck off highways and prompted many people to evacuate their homes.

Near Baton Rouge, Louisiana's capital, officials said they were working through a backlog of 150 people waiting to be rescued.

One woman who lives near Baton Rouge said floodwaters trapped her family in their home, and there were snakes "everywhere." A police officer carried her child on his back as the family escaped.

The governor warned residents to heed officials' warnings about the "unprecedented" rainfall.

Earlier this year, the same region of Louisiana and Missippi was hit by floode that killed at least four people and damaged thousands of homes.

Embed code

Copy and paste the embed code below. The code changes based on your selection.